Apparatus for dicing decored cylinders of pineapple



Sept 22, 1953 R. M. BOTLEY ET AL 6529871 APPARATUS FOR DICINGJ DECOREDCYLINDERS OF' PINEAPPLE Filed Aug. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l m1///////// V Z8 llnllllllulllnu x y l t) n )nu INVEN TOR.

SePt- 22 1953 R. M. BOTLEY ET AL 2,652,871

APPARATUS FOR DICING DECORED CYLINDERS OF' PINEAPPLE .Filed Aug. 29,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 la INVENTOR.

ORNE?) Patented Sept. 22, 1953 APPARATUS FOR DICIN G DECORED CYLINDERSOF PINEAPPLE Richard M. Botley and Gustav Guigas, Honolulu,

Territory of Hawaii, assignors to Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Limited,Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, a. corporation of Hawaii ApplicationAugust 29, 1950, Serial N o. 181,972

Claims. 1

Our invention relates to a slicing and segmentizing machine and in itsmost particular aspect concerns a machine for dicing de-cored cylindersof pineapple preparatory to canning.

Heretofore pineapple has been diced by rst slicing it in one machine andthen segmentizing it in another, the pineapple in each case beingforced, as by a weighted plunger, through stationary knife membersappropriately spaced and arranged to produce segments of the desiredsize.

According to the present invention, we accomplish the dicing in a singleunitary machine which is particularly distinguished in that it utilizesa plurality of rotary screw blades in the production of the slicingcuts. In the machine as preferably constructed, the screw blades arepositioned ahead of the stationary blades so as to engage the pineappleiirst. This arrangement obviates the need for a plunger or ram, enablinga gravity feed which has obvious advantages. found that by means of ourmachine the dicing operation may be markedly speeded up and substantialsavings realized Without in any Way affecting the quality or saleabilityof the canned fruit.

We shall particularly describe our invention with the aid of theaccompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof and inwhich:

Fig. l is a vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the lines indicated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part shown in Figs. l and 2, the figurebeing drawn to the same scale as the latter gures; and

Figs. 4 and 5 show the cuts made by the machine, Fig. 4 being alongitudinal section through a cored cylinder of pineapple, Fig. 5 beinga plan.

The machine, as illustrated, includes a casing I u, the cylindricalthroat portion I2 of which mounts a Cylindrical feed magazine I4. Thediameter of the throat and magazine is set by that of the cored fruitcylinders (Fig. 4). Their combined length should be such that asuiiicient number of the fruit cylinders may be contained in end-to-endsuperposed relation to provide adequate weight for a gravity feed. Inpractice it has been found that five or six cylinders are usuallyrequired.

A cone member IB centrally disposed within the throat I2 has a diametersubstantially conforming to the diameter of the cored area I8 of thefruit cylinder. This cone carries a tapered screw blade I9 and is fixedto a shaft 22 which in operation of the dicer rotates counterclockwisein the sleeve 23. Shaft 22 is driven through a We have gages with a gear32 fixed to the shaft 22. Shaft 24 is itself driven through a horizontalshaft 34 which mounts a bevel gear 36, meshing with a bevel gear 38 onshaft 24, and a sheave 40, grooved to receive a V-belt 42.

The tapered screw blade I9 fixed to the rotating nose or cone I6produces the inner slicing cuts, indicated at C1 in Fig. 4. The outerslicing cuts C2 are produced by a second tapered screw blade 44 xed to aring gear 46 which meshes with a gear 48 carried at the upper end of theshaft 24. With the drive arranged as described, screw blade 44 rotatesclockwise, i. e., in a direction opposite the direction -of rotation ofscrew blade l 9. Blade 44 is so spaced with relation to screw blade I9as to insure junction of the cuts C1 and C2. It has fixed thereto orintegral therewith an auxiliary cutter 59 which produces the annularvertical cuts Cs interconnecting the horizontal cuts C1|C2. During theproduction of the inner slicing cuts C1, the fruit cylinder is heldagainst rotation by the two oppositely disposed vertical knives 52 (seeFig. 3 as Well as Figs. l and 2) which extend inwardly of the inner wall54 of the'throat I2.

Fixed at the head of the stationary sleeve 23 within which the shaft 22rotates is a set of radially extending knives 56 which are shaped as anequilateral triangle squared off at the apex. A stationary annularsupport piece 69 carries a second set of knives 62 extending radiallyinwardly towards the knives 56. Knives 62 are shaped as right trianglessquared off at the point of the lower acute angle and serve to producethe vertical cuts C4 seen in Fig. 5 which, taken with Fig. 4,illustrates the shape of the segments falling into the chute 64.Vertical cuts C5, inwardly of the cuts C4, are produced by the knives56. Two of the outer vertical cuts, indicated at Ce, result from theknives 52, which hold the fruit cylinder against rotation in the throatI2.

It should not be taken from the foregoing that our` invention is limitedtothe particular use indicated, since it may be otherwise applied toadvantage. The machine as shown may obviously be changed and modifiedwithout departing from the .spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom, a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable about said axis, a secondhelical cutting blade secured .to -said casing extending radiallyinwardly therefrom, said blades being adapted to cut said cylindertransversely and to advance said cylinder through said apparatus, meansfor rotating said shaft and said casing, and means for retardingrotation of said cylinder as it is advanced, the maximum radial distancelof the cutting edge of the rst blade from said common axis being atleast as great as the minimum radial distance between the .cutting edgeof the second blade and said common axis.

2. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom, a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable independently thereofabout said axis, a second helical cutting blade of opposite hand securedto said casing extending radially inwardly therefrom, means for rotatingsaid shaft and said casing in opposite directions, said blades beingadapted to out said cylinder transversely and to advance said cylinderthrough said apparatus, and means for retarding rotation of saidcylinder as it is advanced, the maximum radial distance of the cuttingedge of the first blade from said common axis being at least as great asthe minimum radial distance between the cutting edge of the second bladeand said common axis.

3. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefromy a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable about said axis, a secondhelical cutting blade secured to said casing extending radially inwardlytherefrom, said blades being adapted to cut said cylinder transverselyand to advance said cylinder through said apparatus, guide means forguiding said cylinders onto said shaft, means for rotating said shaftand said casing, and means for holding said cylinder against rotation asit is advanced, the maximum radial distance of the cutting edge of theiirst blade from said common axis being at least as great as the minimumradial distance between the cutting edge of the second blade and saidcommon axis. Y

4. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom, a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable about said axis, a secondhelical cutting blade secured to said casing extending radially inwardlytherefrom, said blades being adapted to cut said cylinder transverselyand to advance said cylinder through said apparatus, means for rotatingsaid shaft and said casing, and means for retarding rotation of saidcylinder as it is advanced, the second said blade being disposedrearwardly of the iirst said blade in the path of said advancingcylinder, the maximum radial distance of the cutting edge of the firstblade from said common axis being at least as great as the minimumradial distance between the cutting edge of the second blade and saidcommon axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including in addition means for cutting saidcylinder in a cylindrical path. about said common axis, the radiallimits of said cylindrical path being defined by the outermost cuttingedge of the first helical cutting blade and the innermost cutting edgeof the second helical cutting blade, said additional cuttingv meansbeing disposed rearwardly of said first helical blade in the path ofsaid advancing fruit cylinder'.

6. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom, a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable independently thereofabout said axis, a second helical cutting blade of opposite hand securedto said casing extending radially inwardly therefrom, guide means forguiding said cylinders onto said shaft, means for rotating said shaftand said casing in opposite directions, said blades being adapted to cutsaid cylinder transversely and to advance said cylinder through saidapparatus, and fixed cutting blades mounted in the path of said cylinderas it is advanced for cutting said cylinder longitudinally `and forholding it against rotation, the second helical blade being disposedrearwardly of the first helical blade in the path of the advancingcylinder, the maximum radial distance of the cutting edge of the rstblade from said common axis being at least as great as the minimumradial distance between the cutting edge of the second blade and saidcommon axis.

7. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow center of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom, a hollow casing adapted to receive said cylinder mounted inaxial alignment with said shaft and rotatable about said axis, a secondhelical cutting blade secured to said casing extending radially inwardlytherefrom, said blades being adapted to cut said cylinder transverselyand to advance said cylinder through said apparatus, the maximum radialdistance of the cutting edge of the rst blade from said common axisbeing at least as great as the minimum radial distance between thecutting edge of the second blade and said common axis, means forrotating said shaft and said casing, and at least one fixed knifeextending radially 1nwardly toward said axis in the path of saidcylinder adapted to cut said cylinder longitudinally and to retardrotation of said cylinder as it 1s advanced through said apparatus.

8. Apparatus for cutting a hollow fruit cylinder comprising guide meansfor guiding said cylmder along its axis into said apparatus a rotatableshaft adapted to enter the hollow ycenter of said cylinder, a helicalcutting blade secured to said shaft extending radially outwardlytherefrom adapted to cut said cylinder transversely and to advance itthrough said apparatus, a 1101- 10W CaSlIlg adapted to receive saidcylinder mounted in axial alignment with said shaft and rotatableindependently thereof about said axis a second helical cutting blade ofopposite hand secured to said casing extending radially inwardlytherefrom rearwardly of the rst said blade in the path of advance ofsaid cylinder adapted to cut and advance said cylinder, the maximumradial distance of the cutting edge of the rst blade from said commonaxis being at least as great as the minimum radial distance of thecutting edge of the second blade from said axis, means for rotating saidshaft and said casing in opposite directions, at least one xed cuttingblade extending inwardly in the path of said cylinder in advance of therst said helical blade to cut said cylinder longitudinally and toprevent rotation thereof as it is advanced by said helical blade, and aplurality of xed cutting blades mounted rearwardly of said secondhelical blade in the path of said cylinder extending radially inwardlytoward said common axis at least as far as the outermost cutting edge ofthe first helical blade to cut said cylinder segmentally as it isadvanced.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 including in addition means for cutting saidcylinder in a cylindrical path about said common axis, the radial limitsof said cylindrical path being dei-ined by the outermost cutting edge ofthe rst helical cutting blade and the innermost cutting edge of thesecond helical cutting blade, said additional cutting means beingdisposed rearwardly of said rst helical blade in the path of saidadvancing fruit cylinder.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 including in addition means for cuttingsaid cylinder in a cylindrical path about said common axis, saidadditional cutting means being disposed rearwardly of the rst helicalblade in the path of the advancing fruit cylinder, the radial limits ofsaid cylindrical path being dei-ined by the outermost cutting edge ofthe rst helical cutting blade and the innermost cutting edge of thesecond helical blade, and including additional xed cutting bladesmounted rearwardly of the second helical blade extending radiallyoutwardly from said common axis at least as far as said cylindricalpath.

RICHARD M. BOTLEY.

GUSTAV GUIGAS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 408,337 Cunningham Aug. 6, 1890 1,265,853 Wiseman May 14, 19181,312,335 McKerlie Aug, 5, 1919 1,430,124 Stanley Sept. 26, 19221,484,525 Noeggerath Feb. 19, 1924 1,671,723 Jagenburg May 29, 19281,942,500 Spang Jan. 9, 1934 2,024,711 Wendler Dec. 17, 1935 2,050,758Long Aug. 11, 1936 2,075,476 SiZer Mar. 30, 1937 2,195,193 Stanley Mar.26, 1940 2,212,605 Jagenburg Aug. 27, 1940 2,572,917 Ell Oct. 30, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 108,891 Austria Feb, 10, 1928625,719 Germany Feb. 14, 1936 980,467 France Dec. 27, 1950

